Donovan named US player of the year

Landon Donovan of the San Jose Earthquakes has been named the U.S. national team’s player of the year.

Donovan at 20, becomes the youngest player to win the award, polling 497 total votes, with goalkeeper Brad Friedel second on 382 votes and midfielder Claudio Reyna third with 274. The votes were cast by US football journalists.

‘I really didn’t think I was going to win,’ Donovan said. ‘It’s special but I’m very astonished.

‘You can make a case for Brad, Claudio or a lot of guys on our team. I feel bad (for them). I feellike the young guy shouldn’t win.

‘I’ve been so blessed this year with a lot of different things. You don’t really know how to react. I hope I have many years where I can be nominated.’

Donovan shonefor the United States in the World Cup finals, scoring twice in the US’s unexpected run to the quarter-finals.